Astronomy:Pioneer P-1
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Short description: 1959 US attempted satellite
 The Pioneer P-1 lunar probe | |
| Mission type | Lunar orbiter |
|---|---|
| Operator | NASA |
| Mission duration | Failed to launch |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Manufacturer | TRW Space Technology Laboratories |
| Launch mass | 168 kg (370 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 24 September 1959 (pre-launch failure) |
| Rocket | Atlas C-Able #9C |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral Air Force Station , LC-12 |
Pioneer P-1 was a failed mission in the Pioneer program. The spacecraft was a 1-meter diameter sphere with a propulsion module, and was to carry a TV camera and magnetic field sensor. It was to be spin-stabilized and was known as a 'paddlewheel' spacecraft.
The spacecraft was intended for launch on an Atlas C-Able rocket, but this vehicle was destroyed on 24 September 1959 in an explosion on its launch pad during a pre-launch static firing. The P-1 spacecraft and an Able IV space engine were not present on the launch vehicle when it exploded, and were later used on the Pioneer P-3 mission.[1][2]
References
- ↑ "Pioneer P-1, P-3, P-30, P-31". Gunter's Space Page. 12 November 2017. https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/pioneer_p1.htm. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
- ↑ "U.S. Moon Rocket Blows Up in Test". The New York Times. 25 September 1959. https://www.nytimes.com/1959/09/25/archives/u-s-moon-rocket-blows-up-in-test-failure-of-atlasable-delays-shot-s.html.
External links
- Atlas-C Able at Encyclopedia Astronautica
- Able IV information website
- Space Technology Laboratories Documents Archive
| Early missions |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Later missions | ||
| Venus missions | ||
| See also | ||
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